The monitoring of the core power level and the power distribution within the core of a nuclear reactor is done to prevent exceeding the applicable limiting criteria relative to heat generation. These power peaking or linear heat rate limits are preserved by monitoring pre-calculated limits for the parameters affecting power distribution (such as regulating rod and axial power shaping rod position), pre-calculated limits for the parameters indicating power distribution (such as axial power imbalance), or by directly measuring the actual peak on a regular basis and comparing it to a pre-calculated peaking limit. Present monitoring systems require collecting the information to be monitored from either several panel meters or a computer printout. This collection of information is sometimes automated to a degree by several computer alarms indicating which parameter is outside the allowable limit. This approach, however, does not provide information relative to the interaction between the various monitored parameters nor does it necessarily make clear the possible remedial actions when the parameter limits are exceeded.
Because of the foregoing, it has become desirable to develop a display system which illustrates the interaction between the various parameters that affect the power distribution within the core and which shows the margin to the limiting operational criteria.